Parallel Install of perl 5.8.1
 

I want to upgrade my perl version from 5.6.1 to 5.8.2. I am on Debain 3.0. I found this tutorial at: http://perlmonks.thepen.com/285799.html. In this tutorial it says that if you want to use perl 5.8.2 you should install a parallel version of it as to leave perl 5.6.1 intact for system purposes.

Is this the correct way to install perl 5.8.2 on Debian 3.0? My biggest concern is if I start this process I have to finish it. If I kill perl altogether I would be in a world of $(!%.

Another way to approach this is to install the perl mode I need on perl 5.6.1. I have tried but run into dependence problems. Can I use apt-get or some other program to install the perl mod that I need?

Thanks,

Bill

I just installed Debian Sarge, and it came with perl 5.8.1 (I'll need to see about .2 soon)
but it did install it in parallel with 5.6.1.
I then ran a CPAN install of additional modules, and all seems to be well ;)

Now my perl -V says:

@INC:
/etc/perl
/usr/local/lib/perl/5.8.1
/usr/local/share/perl/5.8.1
/usr/lib/perl5
/usr/share/perl5
/usr/lib/perl/5.8.1
/usr/share/perl/5.8.1
/usr/local/lib/site_perl

where the perl dirs not marked as 5.8.1 are 5.6.1

hth
j.

Thanks, since this post I was able to get the mods I needed installed on perl 5.6.1. So, since I have that process down I will stick with perl 5.6.1 until it is critical that I have a later perl version.

Thanks again,

Bill